While many members of the United Nations would like to see direct peace talks between the Arab states and Israel, “very few would approach the Arab governments on this problem, and still fewer would press them to agree to negotiate,” Mrs. Zena Harman declared here tonight. The wife of Avraham Harman, Israeli Ambassador to Washington, and herself familiar with affairs at the UN, where she has represented Israel in the past, was the principal speaker at the annual meeting of the Federation of Women Zionists.
Referring to the secret proposals regarding the Arab refugee issue, recently made by Dr. Joseph E. Johnson, special emissary of the UN Palestine Conciliation Commission, Mrs. Harman said his thinking “tries to go the root of the problem, but will have to be amended considerably before they reach the General Assembly’s Special Political Committee.” Dr. Johnson has proposed that Arab refugees be given a choice between “return” to Israel or compensation by Israel, with the alternative of resettlement in Arab countries. Both Israel and the Arab states have, thus far, rejected his proposals. The refugee issue is scheduled for debate in the UN Assembly’s committee next month.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
